York Springs man inducted into Air National Guard Hall of Fame

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Robert Thomas, of York Springs, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Air National Guard Hall of Fame at the annual Flight of Freedom ceremony on Oct. 20. (THE EVENING SUN -- SUBMITTED)

When Chief Master Sgt. Robert W. Thomas, of York Springs, received the letter stating he would be inducted into the Pennsylvania Air National Guard Hall of Fame in honor of his 36-year military career, he immediately closed the letter to double-check the sender's address.

"I was surprised," Thomas, 70, said. "The news knocked me down."

He knew the Hall of Fame existed and knew a few people who had been inducted, but Thomas never thought he would be inducted. It was an honor, he said, to be inducted at the annual Flight of Freedom ceremony on Oct. 20
The Hall of Fame is the Pennsylvania Air Guard's highest honor .

"Everyday was different. You never knew from one day to the next what would happen," Thomas said of his career. "That was the most rewarding part looking back."

Thomas started his career in 1963 when he enlisted in the 140th Aero Medical Transportation Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, during the Vietnam Conflict as a C/EC-121 aircraft engine mechanic.

Thomas began his career in the 1960s as an Airman First Class in Goose Bay, Labrador, responsible for repairing a blown engine on a stranded C-121 Constellation. He was dropped off near the bay, where he worked by himself for five days to repair it.

Repairing the C-121 Constellations was one of the highlights of his career, Thomas said. He also served as a guard lift to families in the military or government who needed to travel throughout Europe.

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He traveled the world, including England, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Although he was never in one place for a long time, he liked being able to see the world.

Some of his fondest memories are from Asia - specifically Thailand and Korea - Thomas said. While stationed in Thailand in the 1970s, Thomas stayed in a brand new hotel in downtown Korat. The hotel, only five or six stories high, was considered a high-rise in the city, he said.

"We felt like kings staying in a beautiful hotel," Thomas said.

Although Thomas felt like a king, he saw many Thailand residents who weren't so fortunate. He would often sit on his balcony and watch the family who lived in a small village directly behind the hotel. He would throw candy for the children, noticing how little the family had, wanting to give them something more.

"They had no choice but to live that way," Thomas said.

He and his peers bought the family a 100 pound bag of rice - something the family could live off of for weeks, Thomas said. Unsure of the customs of the culture and if he was allowed to approach the family himself, Thomas and his peers handed the rice bag to several villagers standing near the border of the hotel.

"You'd thought we'd gave them a million bucks. It felt good doing something like that," Thomas said. "I'll never forget that."

The scene that day in Thailand hit home with Thomas, who never went hungry growing up on a farm in New Chester. He was one of seven children, which he said involved sharing and hand-me-downs. Although the family never had much money, they always had something to eat - even if that meant diving for the last piece of chicken, he said with a laugh.

Although the villagers in Thailand weren't so lucky, everyone was still friendly to him, Thomas said.

"They treated us like gold," Thomas said. "It felt good to do."
Even at 70-years-old, Thomas still remembers the millions of stories from his 36 years in the military. He retired in 1999, and returned to Pennsylvania. Although he was often away from his family, Thomas said his career was worth it.